Los Carnales

Chapter 47: Angelito Vuela

A/N: This will be the last official chapter of Los Carnales.
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January 22nd, 2008
Sunday, 3:33pm - Caballero Rivero Woodlawn North, Miami

It was another rainy day in Miami but at the moment it was just a light drizzle. Lauren hasn't shown her face much at all to the gang, let alone talked to anyone except for Sugar or Candy when she had to. And to Jesús one time to check in on him when they were both the only ones up in the hideout at 3am looking for more bottles of alcohol. She's seen Luca most out of all of them, as she was still torturing him and keeping him alive, but that was it.

Today was the day Aleesia would be getting buried. Lauren wasn't welcomed to the funeral because it was "family attendees only" but Jesús persuaded his parents into allowing Lauren and whoever else in Los Carnales wanted to come to the burial ceremony. When she reconnected with her gang as they arrived to the cemetery, many asked how she's been holding up or what she was feeling. And her answer was the same to everyone:

"I feel like I've already died inside, I'm just waiting for my body to catch up."

There was long lines of red and black cars parked on the roads within the cemetery. Those who couldn't come close to the polished black casket stood outside their cars watching silently or standing in the back of the pick up trucks for a better view. This had to be the most packed ceremony anyone in the gang has ever seen since it was first founded. And it'd make sense, Aleesia was fiercely loved amongst all gang members. Hell, there ended up way too many flowers for the ceremony that the Morales family had no clue what to do with except give some to other families currently going through loss or take the rest home. Everything was excessive, thanks to Lauren who paid for all expenses and also made sure Aleesia had a crystal white statue of a beautiful female angel for her grave, as she couldn't bear her former girlfriend having anything basic.

The gang leader wore an all dark red three piece suit (with the exception of her black collared shirt and tie), tailored slacks, shoes matching her tie, a fist full of gold rings and her Scorpion pendant around her neck. Her hair parted down the middle was wet and curly, the lids of her eyes were blended black and grey - making the emerald green pop, beneath her right eye was a fresh tattoo of a black teardrop for Aleesia, and her lips were painted the same shade as her suit. She stood right next to Jesús two feet away from the casket, hand over the other by her groin, her lips curled and nostrils dilating as she tried her hardest not to break out in a hysterical sob and throw herself onto the casket covered with flowers and a rosary, begging to be lowered into the ground with Aleesia. Lauren ignored the many eyes that fell on her, judging her and blaming her. She ignored those who watched closely, waiting to see their boss cry if they haven't already at South Beach. Lauren kept her teeth clenched as hard as she could until she couldn't handle the pain or the flashbacks of them together coming at her all at once.

Next thing she knew her hand flew to her face and she covered her leaking eyes, finally parting her lips to cry like Aleesia's family behind her. She's witnessed many people being lowered into the ground and was hit with the realisation that they'd never come back up plenty of times before, but this hit her differently. The woman she loved with all her heart and soul—the woman she vowed to protect and saw some kind of future with—was in that black box. After days of screaming and praying for Aleesia to wake up, a moment like this, so final, was a hard pill to swallow: she was never going to wake up ever again. There would be no other Aleesia in this life, there was only one. Never the same face, the same grin, the same down-to-earth personality and spirit, the same body. Gone forever and will soon be forgotten by most of these people here just like everybody else who died was.

"Aleesia was a woman of faith. She used her faith in God to carry out his message of love, of forgiveness, and of compassion. She cared for other people just like he cares for his own children. Aleesia was a kind soul who had so much to offer and went as far as pursuing a career in nursing that further proves her selflessness, her desire to help other, and good spirit. She was a loving daughter, a sister, and a mother despite the horrible fate she and her baby was met with before it had the chance to be brought into this world. Aleesia was courageous, loyal, ambitious, and confident in the way she carried herself. Those of us who knew Aleesia knew she was never afraid to go after whatever she wanted, no matter what it was or what anyone around her said, and she always told the truth even if those around her disagreed or weren't ready to hear it. And I know...the angels above are honouring her for it. I know that she has found peace in heaven as she is now one with God. And I know that when our time will soon come, we will meet again..."